Eagle Rock halts plans for data center in Christian Co.

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Eagle Rock is canceling its pursuit of building a data center in Christian County, according to a company statement.

Eagle Rock Partners said uncertainty surrounding delivery of power infrastructure to the data center is why it's no longer moving forward with the project.

The nearly $9 billion project was expected to create thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent jobs in the county.

But many residents and some elected officials were concerned about the data center's impact on the county. Concerns included water usage, disruption to wildlife, and environmental and farming impacts.

Eagle Rock said Tuesday it was grateful to Christian County leaders for their "transparent leadership and engagement" in the proposal for Meridian Technology Park.

The proposal had not yet received proper approvals. If the project had been approved, construction would not have started for several years.